Loads of fun if you like action topdown racers. I tried the 'free' mobile version and I got to say that it plays a lot better on keyboard or a gamepad relative to the touch controls, not to mention it just looks overall a lot nicer. It also has more gameplay elements such as powerups and weapons which weren't available in what I take is the original game version on mobile.

There's the car chase mode as the game title implies but it also comes with specific challenge maps where the objective varies depending on the conditions surrounding the challenge. There's a good variety of cars to unlock and they each have their own handling characteristics though I find that nimbleness and speed depending on the map/challenge are the only attributes that really matter.

That plus the multiplayer and co-op modes (local mind you) give the game a lot of value for the price tag if you're a fan of this kind of action.

PAKO - Car Chase Simulator is a game in which you have to avoid crashing for a certain amount of time while you're being chased by cops.

The first thing to attract my attention was the simplistic and adorable cartoonish graphics and soundtracks with a retro vibe, as well as the menu design in harmony with this nostalgic direction.

The controls are simple, you have an accelerator, brake and power-up use buttons. Since your car can never stop going forward, you can only either slow down or speed up your car. It's definitely not as easy as it sounds though, because the game is not very forgiving even againsts your "soft touches" and you will explode no matter how slow you crash. You are supposed to do a lot of drifting and use the environment and your powerups to get rid of your chasers. It's also important to note that it's possible to change the camera angle to the one that suits to the environment.

Speaking of environment, the map design is narrow and the maps are small and restrictive and there isn't much to do in the map despite the huge potential the game mechanics could have taken advantage of.

That is not to say the game is not fun. There's definitely something satisfying in running away from cops, making them crash into each other and explode, being able to unlock new cars and maps and using a variety of different powerup pickups. Additionally, there is a 4 players split screen feature along with a proper controller support, so that's a plus.

My overall experience was quite positive despite its minor flaws... I believe It's worth buying when it's on sale if you enjoy playing simple and topdown racing games.

Title: PAKO - Car Chase Simulator
Status: Released
Developer: Tree Men Games
Publisher: Tree Men Games
Genre: 3D Arcade Racer
Release Date: 10th of January, 2017
Type: Singleplayer & Multiplayer

PAKO - Car Chase Simulator was first released on the mobile gaming platforms in 2014 and it took nearly three more years before it would debut on PC. The graphics themselves haven’t been overhauled as far as I can tell and instead went for a faux VHS tape feel and look. To be fair, the dev team has had no previous experience on Steam or with PC games, so it might take them a while until they get used to the far more versatile and powerful platform that is, proper PC gaming.

I played PAKO on my Android terminals as soon as it became downloadable for free. It has gathered more than 5 million downloads on the Google Play Store alone. Those numbers speak for themselves in terms of quality and popularity. Sadly on the iOS it still has a price tag, but I have to admit it’s still far more decent than the asking price on Steam. Ironically, the game currently looks better on mobile platforms, thanks to the implementation of a chase cam with perspective from behind the cars you control, opposed to the top-down view on the PC version. PAKO still has been released less than two months ago on Steam, so I’m still hoping for a few updates that will make it the ultimate version of the game.

As for the gameplay, it is still “tough as nails”, exactly as the developer describes it. Is it a good thing though? Well for starters, a difficulty slider or option would have been more than welcome. You can revive the retro look of arcades of the past and cash in on the nostalgia even without offering just the old school kind of difficulty that encourages rage quitting. PAKO’s plot line is quite simple and straightforward: you are being chased by law enforcement units and you must evade them for as long as you can, in your own vehicle. Ten levels of various size, offer a lot if visual diversity. The cars you may switch to and from as you unlock them, are also varying in speed and proportion. It is your foes, that ultimately hinder the game with a lot of repetitiveness. Squad cars, SWAT Vans and a dubious inclusion of tanks, as if they’re trying to stop a Terminator or something similar.

The enemy vehicles always attempt to swarm you and bear in mind that a single hit taken by you, spells the end of that level. You have to avoid or fight back the Law for at least 40 seconds during each stage, in order to unlock the next one. Most of the time you won’t even hit 30 let alone the 60 second mark, required for some of PAKO’s Achievements. You may laugh and scoff at a seemingly easy objective to reach. There are few assets on the map that you may hit with your car and not result in instant failure. Your best bet is to stick to the road for as long as you can and even drift in circles from time to time.

The presence of power-ups and weapons to fight back, are a nice touch, yet they hardly save the game from boredom. Having to repeat the same level 10 times until you reach 40 seconds of survival, doesn’t help either. Perhaps that’s just me. In any case, PAKO played in short sessions, is quite a decent game and the Unity-powered graphics are easy on the eyes. The jagged edges found everywhere you look, are a game design choice, not an antialiasing oversight. Some stages and unlockable cars are clearly inspired by the ‘80s pop culture and that is always a plus in my book. Steam auxiliaries in the form of Achievements and Cards, tip the odds in PAKO’s favor and I’m willing to recommend you buy and play it, but perhaps wait for a price drop and some well deserved updates, featuring the latest content from the mobile versions of the game.

+ Interesting visual style.
+ Pop culture references.
+ Steam Trading Cards & Achievements.

- No difficulty slider or option to tone it down.
- Relatively brief and repetitive.
- Slightly overpriced and thin on content compared to the mobile versions.

Rating 65/100

This review was submitted for Imperial Reviews and Cubbes.

Steam really needs a 'neutral' review option.
This is a fun little game, the idea is Great.
I just think it could have been implemented better.
It is difficult to stay alive more than 30 seconds, and often the crashes are unavoidable, so it's a little too random for my liking.
The graphics are not very smooth scrolling either.

Cheap, great idea, fun for a little, but could have been a lot better.

Bigger, and better. A mobile port that doesn't suck, we don't see those nowadays do we? PAKO - Car Chase Simulator was first releasd on mobile, simple concept but a very hard game to master, you play a car that is trying to run away from cops, see how long you can last without crashing.

Graphics are pleasant, music is lovely and the controls are slick, I'm sure you'll get a few hours of fun out of this.

Fun small little game but that is it, the drivin is against you, the items are against you, the environment is against you, the cops are after you. you restart after 2 seconds of "driving" often.

It's like a bullet hell game
...but with cars

and powerups
and tanks
and trains
and airplanes
and zombies
and Finland


but mostly cars

and a tuk-tuk!



...and an annoying camera

Inside Pako's head:
Gotta go fast!

Love the retro/VHS feel to this game! A driver view would be nice but apart from that hours of fun!!!!

PAKO is a simple arcade game in which your only mission is to not be caught by the police or crash. By surviving for a set amount of time in a level, you can unlock new levels, and by completing tasks from Collection you can unlock new vehicles. Also there's local multiplayer, which I did not test out.

There are powerups spawning in the levels, such as different kinds of ammo or weirder stuff like meteorites falling from the sky for a few seconds. You can also be affected negatively by picking up them, your car may be frozen for a while, rendering it uncontrollable, or its size might be multiplied for a moment.

That's pretty much the gameplay - drive, collect powerups and dodge the police cars (which explode when they hit each other.) One hit and it's game over. I don't like that even the smallest hit with a wall means you lose.

If you are into small arcade games, you could pick this one up, however, the game is very simple. I recommend playing with a controller, keyboard can feel a bit clunky.